August Volunteer GroupsAugust was once again a busy month for volunteer groups helping aboard the boat. The Sea Cadets were up for their annual visit. They spent the day cleaning the boat from bow to stern, dusting, polishing, vacuuming and sweeping, cleaning and flipping the bunks, etc. They also got underneath the deck and scooped out all the muck that builds up in the waterways.

The Green Bay Reservists were able to come down for a few hours to help out as well. They started scraping some rust build-up in the maneuvering room bilge and chipping paint in the crew’s showers. This area seems to flake paint every winter, so we plan to chip it to bare metal, prime, and paint it.

The Chief-Selects from NRD Chicago also stopped by for the 3rd year in a row. They continued the work that was started by the Reservists the weekend before. They also were able to get the mystery hatch under the deck open again to clean out the water and rust and coat it with a rust inhibitor. They were here the same night the sea cadets were staying on board, so it was a great opportunity for them to talk to the cadets and run a short drill with them.

Volunteer Report• Russ Collins and Max Brown spent an afternoon putting engine #1 back together with the generator. It was taken apart awhile back to trouble soot the engine issues. • Several volunteers worked on general engine maintenance and cleaning and also cleaned up the Cobia workshop so that it can actually be used as a workshop and not just for storage of other miscellaneous items. • Paul Kraynek and Tom Aschenbrenner worked on the MG radio set. They got it running, but have a few bugs to work out yet. • Phil Walters has been working on our custom HVAC system from studying the system, general maintenance, and troubleshooting some issues. The system is about 12 years old now so it’s in need of general maintenance and cleaning. Humidity levels on the boat also spiked in September so he’s been working on solving and preventing the problem.

October Work WeekendSeveral volunteers were up Halloween weekend to work on the sub. They did repairs and general maintenance on indicator boards, the ship’s clock, and the general alarm in the control room. They also worked on the fuel oil injector test jig and inspected the Clean Fuel Oil tanks in the engine room. And Phil Walters continued to work on the HVAC unit and trouble shoot the humidity issues.

This weekend we also hosted our 2nd annual Haunted Sub. We had over 300 people visit the boat during this two night event. Lots of smiling faces, laughter, and even a few tears, but everyone, from the participants to the staff and volunteers, had a blast and we can’t wait for next year!In Memoriam: David Heckmann, “Captain Dave” “Cobia Chaplain”David Heckmann joined the museum staff in 1996 as a tour guide. His first “tours” were a slide show since Cobia was in dry-dock at the time. He went on to be one of the original Overnight staffers when the program began a year later and continued to work in both departments for 15 years. Dave loved to give tours and talk about Cobia to visitors of all ages and became known as “Captain Dave” to the staff and overnight participants. For his passion and dedication to Cobia, the crew made him an honorary crew member, which is an incredible honor and is not something that is handed out lightly. Dave left the museum three years ago to pursue his dream of attending Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO. He graduated this year and was looking forward to his own church. This summer he came back to the museum to provide the prayers for the USS Lagarto Ceremony and Tolling of the Boats Ceremony. We had decided he was now the unofficial “Cobia Chaplain.”

Dave died on October 26th of a heart attack. It was a shock to all who knew him. He will be remembered for his heart of gold, his passion for Cobia and sharing his knowledge with thousands of visitors and overnight participants, and his quirky sense of humor that has made him a legend among the overnight staff. He will truly be missed.